


Star Wars Rewrite: The Force Awakens

by JSailer



Series: Star Wars Rewrite: The Sequel Trilogy (Episodes VII, VIII and IX) [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Rewrite - Fandom, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:14:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27421780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JSailer/pseuds/JSailer
Summary: Thirty years after Endor, a clue to a weapon from the past has been discovered on Jakku. A deadly race ensues, and a new generation of heroes and villains will rise to decide the fate of the galaxy. (This is a rewrite of TFA that belongs in its own separate universe, but will use elements of Legends and Canon where we see fit [see Discussion]).Note, This is a backup from the story on FanFiction.Net, and is likewise being adapted in an audio format on YouTube. Links are below:https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12935052/1/Star-Wars-Rewrite-Episode-VII-The-Force-Awakenshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWpYxXiSNh0&list=PLTDt_6D2IrVeGLJZNOus5EtRR83fgzs_u
Relationships: Leia Organa/Han Solo, Mara Jade/Luke Skywalker
Series: Star Wars Rewrite: The Sequel Trilogy (Episodes VII, VIII and IX) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2003821
Comments: 8
Kudos: 4





	1. Discussion from the Authors

**A Discussion from the Authors and an introduction to Star Wars Rewrite  
  
(For the latter, scroll down to the Structure section - Updates when Possible)**

* * *

****Hi, I’m JSailer!  
  
_And I’m Cale._  
  
And we are the primary writers of Star Wars Rewrite: The Force Awakens. If you are reading this, then you’ve no doubt found our story here on the Forum or on the Youtube page. Before you begin reading or listening to the story, we kind of figured having this here would be a good idea to generally say why we’re doing this and what we’re going to do with this verse of ours moving forward.  
  
Now, we did post a similar section here, but we had a lot of folks complain that it had devolved into a rant. So, we’re altering it a bit to be a bit more concise to and the point. So, with that bit of house keeping out of the way, Cale would you like to start us off?  
  
_Well, where to begin than with the sequel trilogy movies. Short answer, we don’t like them. Long answer WEEEEE DOOOOOON’T LIIIIIIKE THEEEEM._  
  
Cale, you’ve become a little pale over there. You okay? You turning into a ghost or something? Do I need to call the Winchester brothers?  
  
_In all seriousness, we find the sequel trilogy films to be rather insulting to the fans, both new and old. Granted, I’d say TFA was a bit more respectful than the movie made by the round headed idiot, but even that was just retreading water with no real development of the universe or telling how we got here._  
  
Indeed. For us, it largely comes down to the three things. First, we don’t like the lack of a properly developed world that is both exciting and provides a good foundation for this verse to grow. TFA does not do this. It drops us thirty years after the fact with very little to work with besides a giant, unanswered mystery box of how things got so bad. Yes, there were some books that did bring some insight, but the movies should have still given some answers, or at least told it in a way that you didn’t need to read a book to understand how things got this way. In addition to this, the universe is set up to where there really can’t be any interesting stories to tell as the movie kills off NJO, the NR, and settles for a repeat of the OT without the openness for non-movie expansion.  
  
_Look, you may hate the Prequel movies, but you cannot deny it created a great EU.  
  
Second, we didn’t like the lack of development for the characters, and the lack of respect for the the old characters. It came out in interviews that Abrams didn’t want to bring Luke Skywalker out because he kept stealing the scene as it were from the new characters, so that’s why Luke was stuck on an island with nothing to do in TFA, other than to look haunted. All I have to really say is ya should have taken the hint Abrams! If you can’t make your characters compelling enough to compete with a great character, than there is something wrong with your characters! Sorry you take over._  
  
That’s okay. You’re absolutely correct. We need not look any further than that infamous line from the next movie over “Let the Past die, kill it if you have to” in order to understand the thought process of these plebeians.  
  
And that brings us to number 3, and I will keep this one brief. We vehemently despise that Star Wars got co-opted as a political platform. Yes, Star Wars had politics as a centerpiece before, but that was on topics that were timeless. Government and society turned evil, lawlessness in the galaxy, good guys fighting for freedom against the tyranny of the few, Heroes being Heroes. These are things that have existed since the early days of storytelling, and do not need to be tied to any point in history.  
  
  
Instead, the new movies have interjected them with current, charged politics that date the movies badly. Forty years from then, we can still understand what the OT was about. Twenty years, we can still understand where the PT’s were coming from. But ST? Are people going to understand why gender politics were in this movie?  
  
But I digress.  
  
_Well, With that out of the way, let’s talk about what we plan to do with this version of the story, and this version of the Star Wars EU._  
  
  
**The Structure of the Rewrite Verse**  
  


  1. With some exceptions, everything that happens pre-Legends _(ie, before Disney’s take over)_ RotS happens in this verse. For example, KotOR, both Clone Wars and the Bane Trilogy are still canon, but stories such as Dark Disciple will not be canon here _(it ruins both Quinlan Vos’ original story in the Dark Horse comics and kills off Asajj Ventress in a really stupid way)._  
  

  2. The post-RotS era will be entirely separate from both Canon and Legends but will use material from both where we see fit. For example, we will use characters from Legends in conjunction with their Canon counterparts _(ie, you will see Kyp Duron with Kanan Jarrus or Ahsoka with Kyle Katarn)._  
  

  3. Characters who have shown to have died or went down some specific path in either Legends or Canon may not have died or gone down said path _(such as Asajj Ventress death, A’Shard Hett’s fall to the Dark Side, or Shaak Ti being killed for whatever time it is. Yes, she will not die in verse... at least not in the stupid ways she dies!)_  
  

  4. While we may use Canon characters, such as Rey, Poe, Finn and Kylo Ren, they will not be the same as their Canon counterparts. Instead, hopefully, they will receive far greater characterization and satisfying arcs. (Let’s get this out of the way. Rey was not sold for drinking money, and she does not spontaneously get superpowers for no goddamn reason, so get both out your head when you eventually meet her in this story).  
  

  5. While we may use Canon storylines, they will be heavily altered. So, while we may use specific scenes from the movie and a similar act structure, the overall mood, point, character arcs, and even general plot will be different or bear only a passing resemblance to its original source material. _(The same could be said for Legends Storylines in this verse.)_  
  

  6. Aside from rewriting stories and movies from the Canon verse, we are also looking to create a broader EU _(Expanded Universe not to be confused with the European Union)_ with original stories and characters, with a main emphasis on the Dark Times, Post-Jakku, and Sequel Trilogy Eras, and even beyond. As such, we have recruited a handful of other writers to help us do this once we get to a certain point of comfortable completion with TFA, and we’re on the lookout for more.  
  

  7. Above all, we aim to create good stories that can act as alternative to both Legends and Canon _(depending on which you don’t like for whatever reason)._ These stories will feel like Star Wars, yes, but they will also be objectively good, and this is not a boast. This is what we want to do, and will hold to this contract.



  
Alright, I don’t see anything else to add here. Cale?  
  
_No, I think we said everything that needs to be said. Well there is one thing to possibly add. We hope you enjoy our story._  
  
Likewise. Please like and review our chapters as you see fit. This will greatly help us improve the quality of the stories moving forward. Oh, and there is one more thing to address here.  
  
We currently working on adapting this story to an Audio-Visual format on YouTube and BitChute. Links below:

<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTDt_6D2IrVeGLJZNOus5EtRR83fgzs_u>

<https://www.bitchute.com/playlist/pAYpmmGZP2gW/>

Alright, I believe this concludes this introduction section.  
  
_Indeed, I hope you all enjoyed this discussion and would like to contribute to this timeline. We would like to try and keep it consistent with itself as much as it can be. Any closing statements from you, Mister Sailer?_  
  
May the Force and the God-Emperor be with you. Live long and prosper. And as always *puts on sunglasses and imitates a Russian accent* have nice day.


	2. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "On the world Korraban, ancient birthplace of the Sith, The Knights of Ren coronate the Seventh of their Lords: Kylo Ren. From the ashes of the Empire, the Sith Reborn shall soon rise to take their vengeance upon the galaxy."

**Taungsday, Nelona 23rd**

**Korriban**

**31 Years After the Battle of Yavin**

* * *

**Link to Audio Version Here (note, this narration is based on an older version of this chapter):<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWpYxXiSNh0>**

* * *

Night was settling, and as the sun slowly set behind the horizon, the darkness of the valley began to emerge like haunting specters from the ruins below. Their ancient spires and stonework had crumbled and decayed for thousands of years, and yet they still boasted their history with a sense of dreadful pride. Through these signatures of a once great empire stood a single, monolithic pyramid. It's stature was nothing short of foreboding, casting a deep oppressive shadow in the dying light that provided an atmosphere of oppression and terror.

Yet, this was not the feeling in the column of a dozen black robed men striding through the remains of their birthright. Fearlessly, they entered the great courtyard; their heavy strides echoing off the aged stone. Their leader stopped for a moment to take in… everything. There was a feeling deep within him that he did not quite understand. He searched within his mind, and yet could not describe this feeling.

Was it fear? Was it amazement?

"No," he mused softly. No, it was stronger than fear; deeper than just simple amazement. It was… destiny. His destiny. Through the unlikely and treacherous paths that he had taken over the many long years… he was here.

And he would fulfill it, one way… or another.

"My Lord?" one of his followers beckoned with a raised hand. He simply nodded, staring up at the capstone of the temple.

"Let us continue."

A dozen paces ahead lay the great door, cast of stone and steel. From the looks of it, it weighed several tonnes. Any archaeological team observing the site would've required great machines to move it even inches. A great, if not impossible task for ordinary men. He smiled.

"But we are not ordinary men, are we?" he whispered to himself. He then spread his arms wide in either direction, and like an orchestra following to the command of a seasoned director, the others quickly flanked him. They gestured their hands to the great mass ahead, bowing their heads and closing their eyes. Then they started to chant.

"Peace is a lie. There is only passion."

Their hands shook with the effort, their bodies beginning to quake like posts in a gale.

"Through passion, I gain strength."

The sound of rumbling echoed through the valley as the ground itself thundered with intense power.

"Through strength, I gain power."

The stone began to wobble from its perch. But it's stubbornness was telling. It was as if the Ancients themselves were testing them. Trying their strength and commitment to see if they were worthy of their secrets. The secrets of absolute power.

"Through power, I gain victory."

The robed figures, however, were up to the challenge. With their combined might, the door began to scrape across the stone foundations with incredible, yet futile protest.

"Through victory, my chains are broken."

Their leader suddenly strode out ahead of them, taking the stone gate in both hands. With a roar, he pulled at the mass and wrenched it clear of its supports! With an explosion of stone and metal that produced a great fog of dust and sand… the mass hovered high above them, steadied by his trembling hands.

"The Force…" he rasped as he held the mass above him with all the effort he could muster, sweat pouring down his temple in droves, "shall… free… me!"

With this, he let the stone fall. With a thunderous crack, it splintered into pieces upon the ancient floor in a terrible heap. He at last let out a sigh. He had never felt this fatigued, this wearied than in this very moment.

"A sign of what is to come," he mused softly.

_Indeed, my child._

He stiffened. Though he knew the truth of the matter, he could not help but whirl his eyes around, looking for the speaker.

_You have come far. Farther than many._

"Thank you, Master," he panted.

_The Courtyard that you now stand upon has been visited by the bones of many a fool who thought they could wield the power that you, and your fellows, now seek._

"I will not fail. It is my destiny."

 _Indeed_ _it is._

The voice betrayed a sense of acknowledgement that brought pride to him. But he quickly fought back his growing anticipation. This had been a moment he'd worked towards for years. He could afford to be patient if but for a few more minutes.

_Come then, my child. Come, and claim the power you seek._

"Yes, Master."

With this, he signaled the rest of his followers, and they began their descent into the underworld. Deeper and deeper they went. Through many a hall and shrine. Through where once stood the great Lords of the Sith, now resting within their tombs. The writing of their forbearers marked the walls with illuminating crimson, telling the many tales of their great conquests and discovery.

He felt his anticipation rise again within his chest. His heart felt as though it was going to burst from his ribcage. He steadied himself.

‘Soon,’ he thought to himself, ‘soon.’

Then they came upon another stone gate, blocking their passage.

 _Power is only a means to an end,_ the ancient writing declared upon its stone, _it is not an end in itself._

‘Then what is the end?’ He thought to himself as he studied the writing more. Then, he understood. "Power is the key to which I unlock my destiny."

He then gestured his hand at the door, and at his beckoning began its ascension. With a groan and exhaust of dust, the door rose to the ceiling and locked into place.

_Very good, my young… apprentice._

He stiffened at the word. He would reply, but thought better of it. Instead, he gestured once more to his followers, and marched through the hallway. Moments later, a bright illumination cast its blinding gaze upon him. When he cleared them away, he was greeted by a grand hall cast in deep golds, blacks and reds.

The stone, the metalwork… it looked new. Preserved. It was of the finest craftsmanship, with great pillars of gold and silver lining the walkways of the room; bright flames cast high above in hanging chandeliers. Within the center of the chamber lay an area of sand; dull, dried red marking them ever so slightly. And above that were steps ascending to a great throne, and upon it…

He grimaced. It was merely a hologram, once again.

"You are disappointed, my apprentice?" the hologram asked, his voice like a strained whisper that somehow casted an indomitable power.

"Yes," the young man answered, the tone of his voice sharp but withheld as he gazed upon the towering figure, "I am. I expected you to be here, in the flesh."

"I, however, promised no such thing."

The young man narrowed his eyes. "I have done all that you have asked. And yet, you do not trust me to greet me in person."

"Yes," the figure nodded knowingly, "but, there is a reason that I do this."

He rose from his chair, the shimmering blue dancing in firelight as he descended the steps. His true height quickly became apparent, towering a heads length above all those below him. And in a blink… he was before him. The young man stared up at the figure; masked in robes of velvet darker than pitch. And yet the face itself was an even darker mass, like peering into starless night.

The figure stared back, the air suddenly becoming frigid like an arctic world. The lights seemed to dim, and an oppressive feeling lurched out and struck out at the young man's heart, squeezing it. He clutched his chest, falling to his knees, but his eyes did not move. He did not, he would not back down. The figure laughed.

"You prove my point."

The young man's heart was released. He allowed himself to strain for breath as the imposing figure walked past him, his hands clasped behind his back.

"There was another like you. Strong, impulsive… fearless. He became my rival. A challenger to my beliefs, and an upholder to the Ancient Ways," he then whirled on the spot, facing him deathly, "and it was he who nearly saw the end of our Order."

"Palpatine," the young man spat out as he struggled to catch his breath; his heart proving an utter hinderance.

"Yes," even through the hologram, he could feel the man smile, "you know well of him, don't you, boy? Tell me, what was it that caused his downfall? Do you know?"

The younger of the two straightened himself, attempting to regain some of his composure. He thought for a moment.

"He underestimated the loyalty of his… apprentice. The love he had for his son."

The man in the dark, velvet robes merely shook his head.

"No, my child, that was merely a **result**. Sidious' fall began long before that moment. It began with a fatal flaw. Shall I tell you? It is the least I can do."

He took his silence as an answer.

"It was his lack of vision. His lack of purpose."

"But he created an Empire," he retorted. 

"Yes, he did," he admitted before asking simply, "and what did he do with it?"

"He… forced peace upon the galaxy. He established order where there was chaos."

He laughed. "Peace, you say? Order? Yes, perhaps for a short while. But within the first years of his Empire, impressive as it may be with its force of arms and infrastructure, one could see it inherited its rulers own hubris. His abstract, unrestrained cruelty."

"And yet the way of the Sith is **Strength**."

"Strength without purpose or reason? That, my child, is not strength. It is stupidity."

The younger man gave him a look of… interest. Confusion, yes, but interest.

"Tell me, my child, did Master Skywalker open his doors to all in the galaxy, regardless of status, of birth?"

The younger man nodded.

"Can you tell me why he did that?"

His answer was immediate, and without hesitation. There was pride in his voice. "Unc-ahem, Master Skywalker, believed in people. He believed in what they could do if only given the means to do it."

"Yes," he answered with a smile, "he saw their potential. He saw their spirit! Yes, your uncle was a truly wise man. One who learned to understand his past," he then turned to the arena, contemplating softly, "this was my student's greatest failure."

"He slaughtered countless people... without purpose."

He nodded slowly. "There is a benefit for being an observer. The Rebellion that rose and vanquished him? He was their unwitting originator. His need to sate his bloodlust, to control trillions of lives and craft worlds in his image earned him the enmity of his subjects. He created his enemy. This is not the way of the Sith. And because of his arrogance… we were nearly extinguished."

"If that is the case, then why did we attack Master Skywalker and his Order?" he growled, standing beside him in the arena of sand and blood, "Why… why did you ask me to-"

"Because of whom he would have protected," he answered somberly, "you've seen it, my child. This 'New' Republic… it isn't truly New, is it?"

The younger man stared at the sand in silence. And that silence was telling.

"There was once a saying: 'The sins of the Father shall be carried by the sins of the Son'. For as much as the Rebellion attempted to avert the damage done by their predecessors, it was… inevitable, for them to fall into the same trap. Such a waste," he sighed, his somber attitude once more surprising him. He shifted the sands before them, almost drawing with them.

"I respected your uncle for what he accomplished," he said at length, "rebuilding the Order from nothing. Breaking their stagnation. Seeking knowledge in the pursuit of the Force. It is my greatest regret for what had to be done. But," he turned, placing his holographic hand upon the man's shoulder, "you know as well as I that he would have stood in our way. That he would never have accepted our vision, nor understand what the galaxy needs. That for as much as he disagreed with the New Republic, he would have answered their call. For this, he had to be… swept aside… for now."

The younger man's head drooped, his eyes sealing shut. His heart weighed heavily in sorrow as he replayed the events that shaped him, and what he knew he must do. Yet, the screams, the accusing eyes glaring back at him, haunted him. He felt a hand at his chin; gesturing fatherly and bringing his eyes back to the faceless being before him.

"I did, however, what none before you could, my child. I can feel your sorrow. Your… hatred. And I understand them all too well. But you also know what we must do. Tell me, my apprentice. Tell me, what is your destiny?"

"To save the Galaxy," he answered with conviction.

"Indeed," he nodded with approval. Then his head drooped and the air chilled cold to the bone, "but… first, there is one final test for you."

"I am ready."

"We shall see."

Upon uttering these words, the eleven other individuals suddenly encircled the pair of them. Shoulder to shoulder, they blocked all escape save for the throne. But, it would be pointless to retreat there.

"Bring him in."

The shudder of a door opened. Two hulking individuals dressed in ornate scarlet and gold cloaks marched in, each dragging the battered and broken man. He whimpered through the bag over his head as the servants dropped him in scattered heap at the feet of the Dark Warriors.

"What is this?"

"Loyalty," the Man in Black answered. The bag was plucked from his head, revealing a bruised and swollen face, purple and black in its severity. The face was unrecognizable. But the brown and gray robes he wore were unmistakable. The uniform of a Jedi.

"No," he said, facing his master with a hard stare, "you do not need to kill him."

"He is our enemy. He is your enemy. And my child, you have long since made your choice," suddenly the cloaked figures rose to fighting stances. Their over-cloaks fell to the floor, revealing men and women-human and alien-adorned in individualized black armor and robes. Yet, what was most distinct were their masks. Each trimmed in dark armor plating, and silver metal face shields each designed to their own specific fashion. They each gave off the impression of wolves at a hunt, ready to kill at the first beckoning call.

Their hollow eyes glared at him, their hands swiftly going to their dominant sides. There lay the trophies of their many, many kills. And quite a few were the hilts of lightsabers. Then in a flash, eleven crimson sabers blared in their hateful fire, feeling the room with a thick scarlet overture. He could only stare at his would be executioners, knowing what would come if he refused.

"And your choice cannot be easily undone," his master broke his thoughts with the slightest of whispers. He stared down at the fallen Jedi; his eyes meeting the desperate, silent pleading with measured guilt… and knowledge in what he must do.

"Fulfill your destiny, my child. Fulfill your Grandfather's Legacy."

He stared once more at the Jedi before him. Then his hand drew his weapon. A ravenous, flame-like blade sprouted from its emitter with an animalistic growl. Then, two more blades sprung from the sides of the emitter, bearing much in the way of appearance to that of ancient swords. The Crossguard was an ancient design, found among the first to harness the power of the Lightsaber.

Its fiery color drew a red shadow over the Jedi's face, sealing in that moment his fate. Then, like an executioner's axe, the blade descended in the blink of an eye and the body fell to the floor; cold as the stone on which it lay. The student let out a restrained breath. He felt as though he were in a nightmare. And then he felt the cold, sizzling hand take him by the shoulder; speaking softly… and almost fatherly. "Well done, my child. Well done."

Then the Knights standing before them raised their sabers in a salute. The Master gestured with a hand, and the student fell to his knees. He felt the simmering hands upon the sides of his face… then he heard the roar of a lightsaber; glimmering softly in the hologram beside his head. Then he noticed the others lowering their sabers together downward… in his honor.

"By the Will of the Ancients, by the Strength of Darkness, by the Right of the Sith… dub thee, I do… Kylo Ren."

Suddenly, a mask like no-other appeared before him, hovering above his head. Black in form, steel in trim, it's faceplate like a shadowed mandible. It felt old; a relic from thousands of years ago.

"Rise, Lord of the Knights of Ren. Rise… and take your birthright."

And so, he clutched the helm in both hands, rising to his feet. He stared into its obsidian visor, and found… a different man, staring back at him. The man he knew he must become. And in that moment, he donned the helm with a loud hiss, and became that which he must be.

"What is thy bidding, my master?"


	3. Chapter One - Amid the Sands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "On the distant world of Jakku, Commander Poe Dameron of the New Republic Navy has been dispatched to retrieve an ancient secret buried amongst its sands. There, he will witness the remains of the war that shaped the present..."

**A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...**

* * *

Star Wars Rewrite

Episode VII

The Force Awakens

By JSailer and Squasher

It has been three years since the Jedi Order vanished. In its absence, the malevolent  **First Order** , 

the united remnant of the fallen Empire, has expanded out of the Unknown Regions in their effort 

to reclaim the galaxy. Standing in their way, however, is the divided and factionalized **New** **Republic.**

Lead  by  Leia Organa Solo, the galaxy prepares for a conflict not seen since the end of the Clone  Wars. 

Desperate to gain an advantage in the coming war, Leia has dispatched  her most daring pilot to the world 

of  **Jakku** ,  where a clue to an ancient weapon has been discovered…

* * *

**Chapter One - Amid the Sands**

**Primeday, Nelona 1st**

**Edge of the Unknown Regions**

**34 Years after the Battle of Yavin**

* * *

Links: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snnwYEWIcPE&t=2s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snnwYEWIcPE&t=2s)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ULkRfRlpU8&t=20s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ULkRfRlpU8&t=20s)

* * *

The vacuum of space was quiet. Peaceful, with only the stars to disturb its silent vigil. Resting on the edge of explored space, this frontier colony was far removed from the busy hyperspace lanes that dominated much of the neighboring Core and Mid Rim. Only the desperate and hopeful looking for an escape from the politics of the larger galaxy and the chance to begin again would be found here. Farmers, scavengers, explorers and traders called this sector home, and many did not complain about it’s rather boring existence. To them, it was freeing.

Though the worlds here were harsh in their own ways, it was still theirs to decide their own fates. The freedom to choose how they wished to live in relative peace. To many, these worlds were the great unknown to be explored. Worlds to be found, and claims to be staked before someone else did. A place where one could leave their troubles behind.

However, those old enough to remember the days of war and strife knew of this sector's importance. They knew the trouble that had visited it some twenty nine years ago. They remembered the terrible carnage that had taken place there. The place in history it had earned with the countless men buried amongst its arid soil. Soon, however, history would return to this world yet again.

From the corner of the system, an explosion of light blanketed the area. White and blue knives cut their way into the material world, outlining an interdimensional hole that rocked the space all around. Then, in the blink of an eye, something was pulled through. A ship. A ship of importance.

Weary eyes stared through the cockpit armor-glass of the T-70 Incom-FreiTek Space Superiority Fighter, Mark D, though it was better known by its nickname, the X-Wing, due to the shape of its superstructure. The T-70 model was the successor to the legendary workhorse of the old Rebel Alliance. However, this particular T-70 was unique in comparison to its many countless brethren scattered throughout the galaxy. Unlike the traditional primary colors of white and blue seen commonly with the New Republic Navy and Sector Patrol units, this vessel was repainted a stark black with a deep orange trim. And along the battle worn frame was painted the maw of a rancor.

To Commander Poe Dameron, it was a reminder of its time in another war. Another backwater hellhole. But, in the end, against the same enemy. The enemy that he had fought over five years ago, and the same enemy his parents had fought almost thirty years ago. He grumbled silently in the gloom illuminated by the stars as he stared down at his navigation charts.

_ Beep-dum-Boo-voo _

A message in red blocky aurabesh letters read across his screen. He chuckled to himself.

“Yeah, I know. Funny how it is, buddy.”

_ Veep-dee-Bee-doo _ .

“No, I don’t believe in coincidences,” he chuckled, “but I suppose I do believe in irony.”

He looked out his cockpit again. Down at the bronze colored world. Down at the world that had changed history once and was going to, again.

“Jakku,” Poe breathed softly, “never thought I’d be coming here, buddy, lemme tell you.”

Another message ran across his screen. This time he could hear the soft, chirping laughter through the comm. system. With a fodder-eating grin, he swiveled in his seat to face his BB-model astromech.  “Just focus on flying straight, Mr. Droid Detective.”

The droid’s ball-like head swiveled down to face him, its beady photo-black cam-eye glaring down at him. Then the droid slanted its head sideways like a mischievous child about to tell a secret, and closed its cam-eye once like it was winking. Poe laughed heartily. 

“I’m gonna hold you to that. If we crash, I’m blaming you.”

The droid laughed at him, beaming his astro-speech across his screen. Poe laughed again, glaring narrow-eyed at his rascally roguish backseat driver.

“Oh, how about the time we crashed on training day back at Yavin, hmm? Or that time you got miffed at Lulu’s droid for stealing… what was her name?”

_ R2-KT,  _ the panel read.

“Right,” he replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he faced his control panel again, “you do realize that she is like,” he paused, doing the math in his head, “fifty years out of your league?”

_ Beep-dee-Bum-doo _

“Oh, you don’t care do you? Well, did you care when you tried to ram us into Lulu’s E-Wing?”

_ Dum-deep-Bee-duh _

“I don’t care if he was mocking you about it! You don’t go killing your pilot and my wingman just because his droid stole your girl.”

_ Fee-Bum-Boom _

“I keep you on because I like your banter. You keep me sane. Trust me, I would die of boredom out here with anybody else. You at least have some sass, and you entertain me.”

_ Beep-Deep-Boo _

“At this rate? We keep each other out of trouble, BB-8.”

_ Vee-Bee-Bidi-Boo _

“Oh shut up, you oversized grav-ball. Wait,” his eyes went back to his comm. screen, noticing the incoming transmission. He pressed several panel options and opened the incoming message. It contained a set of coordinates.

“BB-8, check with the-”

The droid already had the answer ready.

“The Goazan Badlands,” Poe breathed soberly, closing his eyes in remembrance. BB-8 chirped comfortingly behind him. Poe simply nodded.  “Yeah, I know. I’m taking us in.”

Once upon a time, Jakku had been the site of the largest naval engagement since the Battle of Coruscant. Hundreds of ships, thousands of fighters, battalions of men and armor fighting on the ground. All exchanging fire in the space surrounding the planet like the wrath of deities. Ships exploded on impact from hundreds of turbolasers, others rammed into each other in the confined and crowded space, some even collided just by coming out of hyperspace. For seventy-hours, the navies of the New Republic and the remnants of the Galactic Empire turned a once quiet colony into a savage battlefield as each side refused to back down, each convinced it was in the right.

In the end, the battle had ended in a stalemate. Both fleets, too battered and exhausted to continue, limped back to their defensive positions on either side of the planet; ordering the men on the ground to dig into whatever position they’d managed to take. For weeks, they’d watched the other in measured contemplation; waiting for orders that never came. Waiting for the end that came in the halls of politics.

His parents had fought in that battle. Their stories had haunted him. The actions of that day had haunted the galaxy, and set the stage for the present. A bloody conflict that had yet to be resolved. A war that never really ended. 

“We’re coming in, buddy,” Poe called BB-8 over the comm.’s, “set the aft shields 60 degrees.”

The X-Wing roared through the night sky under a dazzle of heat. Fire burned off the sides of the blue-tinted shields like the fall of angels. Then, a moment later, they hit the upper atmosphere. Steam billowed off the craft as it glided through the cloud cover. As the vessel settled, Poe hit the bow lights.

“By the Force,” he gasped. There, in the valleys below, was a graveyard. A graveyard of thousands of souls. Everywhere was debris. Everywhere were the evidence of the climactic end to a climactic war. 

There were fighters strewed across every surface. X-Wings, TIE Fighters, Interceptors, A-Wings… he soon lost count as his craft flew over the long since burned out corpses covered in the sand. He looked left, and he saw the torn half of a Blockade Runner; it’s engine pods scattered among the hills behind it. He looked left…

_ A Star Destroyer,  _ he thought in awe,  _ an Imperial II Class. _

The mile long ship was buried in the sand, it’s bridge section missing. BB-8 chirped a warning and he pulled up, gliding over a dune. Then he saw them. More Star Destroyers. Among them Blockade Runners, Nebulons, Raider Class Cruisers… a Mon-Cal.

_ Five, six, seven,  _ he quickly lost count. He didn’t even bother trying to count the walkers and grav-tanks that littered the battlefield. His father’s words, his mother’s words rang loud in his head like a brass bell tolling at noon. A sense of foreboding ate right into his bones with cold that stiffened his nerves. 

“I’d never seen so much death,” he repeated to himself. BB-8 quickly agreed. Poe suddenly found it strangely fitting that the planet’s surface had a red palate to it. He had the disturbing image of the blood of the fallen pooling into the sand like upon a canvas. BB-8 quickly interrupted his mind with a warning. 

_ “‘Never look back, Poe. It distracts from the now.’” _

Poe nodded. “Let’s get what we came here for.”

Thirty minutes later, they found it. It was a long stretching canyon system made up of deep arroyos and dipping valleys that Poe guessed once formulated some aquatic trench. Suddenly, on either side of Poe’s X-Wing rose from the darkness a pair of older Z-95 Headhunters who shadowed his approach. BB-8 beeped in utter surprise, and scornfully chirped at his pilot. Poe simply shrugged.

“Buddy, you wouldn’t be able to scan 30 meters in this terrain.”

His mind raced as the fighters continued to trail him. A dozen opportunities presented themselves to elude his captors, but almost all of them depended upon the starfighters not shooting him down immediately if he took an evasive maneuver. 

Suddenly, his radio squawked as a distinctive Ryl accent came online,  _ “Unidentified vessel, this is restricted airspace. Identify yourself, or you will be fired upon, over.” _

“This is Commander Poe Dameron of Black Squadron, 75th Fighter Wing. Counselor Organa sent me, over.”

A second voice possessing the metallic bass of a Duros chuckled,  _ “A Flying Rancor, eh? Never thought we’d have a war hero in our midst.” _

Poe chuckled back with a wry grin, “The Rancors Bite Back with a Vengeance.”

_ “Indeed,”  _ the Ryl voice replied,  _ “we’ve been expecting you, Commander Dameron. We’re to escort you back to our base, over.” _

“Acknowledged, over.”

Quickly, the Headhunters took point, turning on their own searchlights and diving into the canyon pass below. Though outdated by a few generations, the old Incom fighters were reliable and modifiable for any situation thrown at it. Poe had flown quite a few back in the Academy and had a great respect for them. Though, he wouldn’t trade his own X-Wing for anything else. She’d served him well during the Outer Rim Crisis.

Then, as the vessels cleared the passway, he found himself in a long clearing flanked by rising canyons. 

_ “‘A dried up lake bed?’”  _ BB-8 asked. Poe shrugged.

“I’m a pilot, not a geologist.”

Towards the back of the canyon was a village that lit up with a multitude of lights. The Headhunters banked right, and Poe spotted the signal lights below. 

“Alright, I’m taking us in. BB-8, prepare the landing cycle.”

In an exhaust of sand and dust spewing out like a whirlwind, the X-Wing slowed to a hovering pattern and finally touched down upon the make-ship runway. BB-8 chirped sarcastic about the landing. 

Poe simply smirked back at him, “A good landing is any you can walk away from. Certainly more than I can say about you.”

_ Veep-Bee-Dee _

“Don’t make me punt you, you floating techno-ball.”

Poe quickly unstrapped himself and slowly rose from his cockpit. Below him, he was greeted by a dozen raised blasters. Poe smiled winningly and spread his arms wide.

“Hey, hey! I’m so very sorry I’m late to the party! Believe me, nobody told me just how long the lines are for Corellian Brew. Must’ve been standing there for hours on end. And that’s not even mentioning all those little kiddies clambering over me, just begging for a joy ride on my X-Wing!”

The men chuckled, and lowered their blasters. Poe just as quickly descended from the nose of his fighter, removing his helmet. Poe was of average height and build with rather handsome angular features, tanned skin and wavy brown hair. All in all, he looked more like the face of some famous celebrity on a recruitment poster than one of the New Republic’s most distinguished fighter pilots. But Poe didn’t mind that much; it did wonders when on leave in the bars of the far reaches of the galaxy. 

With a loud hiss, the holding clamps on the astromech slot opened, and BB-8 shot right out of his seat. He landed in freefall before his anti-grav thrusters kicked in, hovering over the desert sands. BB-8 was a rather unique model, and one the scruffy desert men couldn’t help but gawk at. His head was dome shaped, his body rectangular with repulsors jutting out like the stumps of legs. He was orange and gray in trimming, and narrowed slit-eyes like an angry cyclops.

As they drew closer, BB-8 suddenly produced an arc-caster from his chest, jutting out deadly volts of electricity as he chirped out a challenge to them. The man answered by raising their blasters at the floating ball of sass, and BB-8 simply laughed at them. 

Poe shook his head in annoyance, “Buddy, why do you always have to go picking a fight everywhere we go?”

BB-8 turned his head and winked at his owner, chirping a boast.

“Yeah? Well one of these days you’re going to run into something as stubborn as you are, and I’m not cleaning up the mess.”

BB-8 scoffed at him, then suddenly advanced on the blaster-wielding men like he was going to charge. They backed rather skittishly and the floating droid laughed merely; holstering his arc-caster. 

“That droid is going to get you into a lot of trouble,” an elderly voice suddenly shot out from behind the mass of men, “he mistakes gallantry with foolhardy.” 

The desert men stepped aside as perhaps the oldest man Poe had ever seen stepped forward to greet him. He was tall, thin and grizzled with snow white hair and rather gaunt expressions. However, this was contrasted starkly with his eyes. They were the eyes of a young man, eager for adventure and discovery. Eyes that Poe felt had seen the wonders of the universe and was still hungry for more.

“Believe me, I know, sir,” he smiled at the elderly man before he extended his hand, “Commander-”

“Poe Dameron,” the older man replied with a sanguine smile as he took his hand with a strength beside his age, “hero of the Antiga Sector and Bane of the First Order. Yes, I have heard a great many things about you.”

“As I have of you, Mr. Tekka.”

“Oh please, Commander. Call me Lor San. I haven’t been called by my last name since I left the Archeological Guild.”

Poe smiled like a child in the arms of a kindly uncle, “The Counselor speaks very highly of you, sir.”

“Oh? Counselor, is she now?” he replied with a grin, “I much rather prefer Princess.”

“I don’t think she’s been called that in a long time, sir.”

“Oh, she will always be royalty to me, Commander. Come,” he took the younger by the shoulder, “I have something to show you.”

“I must ask, sir, but how did you--”

“Come to this place, so far away from actual dig sites and the prestige establishments? Master Skywalker put me up to this.”

Poe stopped in his tracks, eyes wide in amazement, “Do you know where he is?”

“Sadly, no,” he replied grimly, “like you, I lost contact with his Order three years ago. But before he disappeared, Luke asked me to look into something. A mystery, if you will. And as his good friend, I was more than happy to oblige.”

“How did you come to, well, know him?”

“Ah, intrigued by the Legend of Luke Skywalker, are we?”

“Well,” Poe laughed embarrassingly, rubbing his hand through his hair, “we studied him and his father’s tactics back in the Academy. Plus my flight instructor, Antilles, well, he liked to talk about him a great deal.”

“Yes,” Lor San smiled warmly, “Luke changed a great many lives. Especially mine. In the days of the Empire, there wasn’t much interest in the study of the past or the ancient cultures, not with Palpatine controlling the flow of information to suit his fancy. Then, one day, a young man came to me with an offer of a lifetime. He wanted my help to discover the long lost secrets of the Jedi that hadn’t yet been destroyed.”

Poe eyes widen. “You helped build the Order?”

“Oh, I merely dug up old archives and found lost temples. But Luke was always one to show his gratitude. I am not of the Force, but he always considered me an honorary member. I am not afraid to admit that those were the happiest days of my life.”

“I can certainly see why.”

Parting through the adobe village, they soon came across what Poe could only describe as a sinkhole, descending down into a cavernous depth like a black hole rising from the embers of a supernova. 

Lor San noticed the look on the younger man’s face, and asked, “Did the Princess tell you what it was you were coming to collect?”

Poe shook his head, “With us being so close to the Unknown Regions, she didn’t want to take the risk if I was captured.”

“Understandable. Please, this way.”

They stepped onto an elevator system, slowly descending down into the depths below. For the first part, there was absolute darkness only broken up by BB-8’s torch. The droid beeped in discomfort, the sound echoing off of the walls deep into the world below.

“I know,” Poe nodded in agreeance, “this place spooks me, too.”

He couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It was somehow worse than when he’d seen the graveyard. Somehow. Like an oppressive cold that he couldn’t warm from. 

“I do not blame you,” Lor San interrupted his thoughts, “not a soul has stepped into this place for many thousands of years.”

“How did you find this place?”

“Very carefully.”

Then they passed a certain point and Poe could see light at the bottom. And when the platform hit the ground, his fear had turned into awe.

“By the Force,” he breathed. For before him was a city. A city of stone and metal. Where great and towering monuments and spires, ruined yet in grandeur stood. It was unlike anything he’d seen before, even by the temples of the Massassi on Yavin. 

It was as if he’d stepped into another world.

“Magnificent, isn’t it?” Lor San asked with an aged smile. Poe could only shake his head in utter astonishment; his mouth agape. BB-8 answered with a chirp of an equal shock; gazing at everything in sight.

“You said it, buddy.”

The two men walked amongst the ancient streets, flanked by an army of workers unearthing the ruins. Poe looked left and right to the towering temples, ascribed with pictographs depicting the populace before otherworldly beings. Worshipping. Presenting gifts. Poe could not speak, but only gawk at the sights before him with BB-8 practically clinging to him.

And yet beside it all was Lor San Tekka, who walked amongst the souls of the ancients like a stroll in a market. His face was strangely impassive.

“Take it in, my good son,” he answered solemnly, “for you may not see it again.”

“I don’t understand.”

“There are secrets here. Secrets that in the wrong hands could spell disaster for the galaxy. And because of its location along the Demilitarized Sectors, it will not be long before we are discovered.”

Poe nodded. The Demilitarized Sector was a buffer zone in all but name where the military forces of the galaxies superpowers couldn’t set foot in. However, the First Order had no scrubbles breaking intergalactic law if they could get away with it. And with the state of the Senate and the Assembly, that was something they could do often. Even Poe, an officer in the New Republic Navy, was here illegally. 

Finally, Poe asked the obvious question that had been sitting in the back of his mind since he’d stepped foot here, “What is this place?”

“A temple of the ancient Rakata.”

“The Rakata?”

“The first of the intergalactic civilizations to harness their power to carve out an Empire. An Empire that spanned much of the known galaxy. There are many such temples like this, scattered throughout what used to be their territory.”

“What happened to them?”

“What happens to most Empires. They fell, in part due to the First Jedi. However, their secrets and history are still buried amongst their ruins… including that which the Princess has sent you to retrieve.”

“Which is?”

“Their greatest secret. The secret to the success of their power. Come, I shall show you.”

He quickly took the lead down the many trodden paths until, at last, they came across a mighty dome acropolis; painted gold in the light above. Through the ruined gates, the three entered. And there, they found the remnant power that once sailed the stars and inspired others to follow in their wake. For within the hall stood a monument of an alien Poe had never seen before. It reminded him of the Mon-Cal in its fish-like appearance, but it was taller and leaner with a malevolent awe that made Poe realize the natural cruelty it possessed.

Standing tall, it’s hand risen to the skies, was an orb. Lor San suddenly stepped forward, and the stone block beneath him sank. And with that, the orb simmered with great power. Lights dazzled all around them. BB-8 cowered beneath Poe as he whirled all around in the path of the illumination. 

Then the lights shot outward towards the center of the dome, and began to spread. It was then that Poe understood what this place was. It’s purpose. It was an astrological hall… and there, spread across the constructed canvas above, was a star chart. Thousands of stars and systems dotted the room, but something was off.

Poe did not recognize most of these formations presented here. He, of course, saw the center star holding the galaxy together. He could make out certain worlds within the Core and Inner Rim, but most of them were of the Unknown Regions. It came to him. The map was incomplete, clearly one of the few pieces that needed to be put together. 

“Yes,” Lor San nodded, “by the look of your face, you too understand.”

By these words, Poe’s mind returned to his mission. “BB-8, start documenting the map, and create a holographic dimensional chart.”

The droid nodded, and diverted power to his thrusters. He rose high into the dome, flashes arcing out above as he began his work. Poe turned back to Lor San.

“You said this place held the secret to their success. What secret is that?”

“One that the First Order and the Empire before them have been searching for. An arcane technology so great it allowed the ancient Sith to dominate much of the galaxy. In the records, they were known as Star Forges.”

“A Forge? You mean like a factory.”

“Exactly that. These Forges were powered by the Dark Side of the Force; capable of non-stop production of any imaginable material.” 

“Like Star Dreadnaughts.”

“Among other things.”

Oh yes. That was something the First Order would most definitely want to get their hands on.

“How many of these things are there?”

“Only one. The rest were destroyed many years ago during the age of the Old Republic.”

“But how do you know this one wasn’t destroyed, as well?”

“I think you already know the answer to that.”

Poe turned back up the map above, and his droid taking holo-shots of the images. He remembered again that the most complete section was of the Unknown Regions.

“The Rakatan’s reach was beyond any imaginable,” Lor San explained as he stood shoulder to shoulder with him, “they dominated every star and enslaved every race. According to my research, they had a Forge within every seat of power, which became five. Three of these were destroyed during their fall, the fourth by the Jedi during the Sith Wars. If this map is accurate, then the fifth and last of them lies somewhere within the Unknown Regions.”

“And probably close to First Order Space.”

“Indeed,” Lor San then turned back to the younger man, his face grim and somber, “once your droid has finished, we shall return to the surface. And in turn, seal the entrance once more.”

There was a great deal of pain on the archaeologists face, and Poe understood why.

“I am sorry it has to come to this. This place looks like it would take years to fully document.”

“Better it be lost again then be found by the enemy.”

Suddenly, a young boy came running into the room; frantic and out of breath. “M-mr. Tekka! Mr. Tekka!”

“What is it, boy?”

“The men, t-they say that strange ships have jumped into the sector!”

Poe’s face hardened into that common amongst warriors. “We’ve got company.”


End file.
